Flag Football Games for Kids

Flag Football Games for Kids

Flag Football is an age old game. And if you’ve got children, then encourage them to try it.

And no worries – you don’t have to encourage the violent types of flag football. There are many safe and fun flag football games to try!

Fun Games for Kids

Playing a game at the end of a practice is a good way to reward your players for their hard work and add an element of fun to your practices. The key is to have the game include some conditioning while encouraging good flag football skills.

Below, we’ll mention some of the flag football fun games for kids. Check out each one, and get started!

1. Sharks & Minnows

This is a game that as a kid I used to play in a swimming pool but it adapts real well to flag football.

The players play on a football field or you can set up a square area with cones if no field is available.

One player is selected to be the shark. He is the sole defender and stands in the middle of the field.

The other players are the minnows. They all line up in the end zone, this is the safe area.

The coach blows the whistle to start the play.

The minnows all attempt to sprint across the field into the opposite end zone.

The shark attempts to pull the flag from the running minnows. On successful flag pull, the minnow then becomes a shark for the next round, joining forces with any other players who are sharks.

If a minnow runs out of bound, he is considered to have had his flag pulled.

Play continues in this manner until there is only 1 minnow remaining. That player is declared the winner and is the shark for the start of the next game.

Encourage the sharks to use team tactics the surround faster players and pull their flags. Encourage the minnows to sprint fast to the other end and use one step cuts and spinning to avoid having their flags pulled. Also watch for any manuever that might be construed as flag guarding and “penalize” the minnow by turning him into a shark or sending him back to the starting position.

2. Speed Football

Speed Football is a competitive flag football challenge that requires 2 units to race each other up and down the field by passing the ball only.

Split your players in to 2 even groups. If the groups are not even, the unit with the extra player must rotate on every play.

Split the practice field down the middle forming 2 half-wide fields of play.

Both units start at the goal line of one of the end zones

When the coach signals go, both teams line up in a formation and attempt to move the ball down field by passing it to each other.

All players must be set before the quarterback can call hike.

Players must stay in bounds on their half of the field.

Patterns can be as deep or as shallow as each player desires.

When a player catches a pass, he cannot run.The ball is spotted where he caught it.

If the ball is not caught (incomplete pass) or caught out-of-bounds the players must return to the previous line of scrimmage and try again.

On a complete pass, the player that caught the ball becomes the quarterback for the next play.

The winner is the first team to reach the opposite end zone turn around and make it back to the starting end zone.

Optionally you can have each unit assign a player to defense against the opposing unit. The defender tries to cover the opposing team’s receivers, block passes or intercept the ball. He does not need to pull flags, each play ends with a complete or incomplete pass. Interceptions count as an incomplete pass, with the offensive unit returning the previous LoS.

Speed Football tests the player’s ability to catch, and move quickly to the line while adding in a competitive but fun element to your practice.

3. Steal The Pig Skin

This game is played just like the old fashioned “Steal the Bacon” game played in school gym class, but modified for flag football.

Just as in the original game divide your players in to 2 equal groups. One group starts on offense and the other begins at defense.

The 2 groups should line up facing each other and about 10-15 yards apart. Place a football (pig skin) at the mid point between the 2 lines.

Assign numbers to each group, by counting from 1 starting on the right side of each line. Players should be diagonal from the player with the same number in the opposite group.

For each turn of play call out a number. The player with that number who is on offense should run to the center and touch the football, then immediately run back to his or her spot. At the same time the defensive player should run forward and attempt to “tackle” the offensive player’s by pulling a flag off his or her belt before that player can make it back to the starting spot.

A point is awarded to the offensive player’s group if he or she makes it back to the starting spot with all flag intact. Like-wise a point is awarded to the defensive player’s group if he or she pulls the runners flag before the runner can return to his or her starting point.

After each player has had a turn, the group should switch roles so that the offense is now on defense, and the defenders are now on offense.

Steal the Pig Skin is a fun flag football game for kids that will drill your players ability to explode forward, move quickly, while executing sharp changes in direction and also hone their ability to pull flags.

4. Double Trouble

This is a challenge that tests hand-eye coordination, and physical alignment skills too!

It’s a game where you throw a ball, while catching it at the same time. Thus, it’s not a game you play with one ball. It’s a game where everyone has their own ball!

Each person starts with a ball. At the start of the game, you throw the ball, while being a receiver for another at the same time.

And when throwing, you’ve got to do it well, otherwise it doesn’t count, and you may end up losing points!

But know what makes this game fun? It’s the ability to play it using other objects, like Frisbees too!

So it isn’t just a flag football game for kids. It’s a throwing game in general!

5. Out/Stop/Finish

This game is a little odd, since it doesn’t just stimulate the physique. It also forces a little mental effort on your child’s part.

In fact, this is a spelling game. And it goes like this…

Your child begins to pass the ball back and forward between you and them (or in a circle if 3+ are playing).

Every time the ball is dropped, that person gets a letter. If the letters they get spell out a full word (which you determine at the start of the game), that person is out!

Now, why is this game good? It’s good since it forces players to keep track of what the full word is…

That is, they need proper spelling skills to know the room for mistake they have!

6. One Hand

It’s a simple flag football game for kids. Here, you play football, but you’re only allowed to use one of your hands!

It’s fun, and it requires intense skill to execute, even as an adult. So we only recommend this for “athletic” and hyperactive children.

It’s a fun way to bolster already present athletic tendencies. And over time, it should be fully fun!

7. Don’t Drop It

This flag football game is very simple. To play, two people pass the ball back and forth until some one drops it. Whoever drops it loses. I love to play this with my dad. It can get wicked intense as each person catches the ball and you try to get them out.

8. Workouts

It’s an exercise game.

Here, you set a number (let’s use 20 as an example). The person you designate has to catch a ball that number of times in a certain timeframe.

If you don’t fulfill the goal, they have to do some kind of workout to compensate – like a certain number of pushups, or a running around the house!

9. Flag/Touch Football

Those are some of the easiest games to explain. And the reason for that is, those games are played similar to the manner of normal football.

The only exception is, you don’t tackle to take someone down. Instead, you tag with your hand, or remove an object attached to their waist (like a flag).

Also, this is a team game. So it’s not something you can organize alone (you’ll need 8 minimum). Buy beyond the tag or flag rules, you’re free to innovate!

Welcome to the flag football page. Here we have 2 pages - parents and coaching. Coaching - Here you will many find resources and articles for coaching youth flag football. Parents - Here we have provided resources to help you understand the rules and concepts of youth flag football, and more importantly to empower you to help your child learn how to play flag football.